ok thanks
what do you think on
brises del caribe for 1.9.
also palma real.

Reptile, I'm not being funny either but all your questions have been answered either here or elsewhere on the forum and whilst those of us who have been to Cuba are more than happy to provide information it gets a bit wearing repeating it when you know that if someone reads back through the forum they can access all those answers and more. The fact that you didn't know that it is not possible to travel directly between Cuba and the USA nor that there is an embargo on any trade or financial dealings between the USA and Cuba (imposed by the US Government not the Cuban) suggests that you really do need to do a lot more research before committing yourself to a holiday in Cuba.

Also, I'm reluctant to offer advice along the lines of 'You should...' and I think others possibly are too, because what we like is not necessarily what you would like. For example, I can provide you with any amount of info about staying with local families in Casa Particulare, for me it's definitely the way to go, but would hesitate to advise you to stay in one because I suspect that it wouldn't be your thing at all. Likewise, a big resort hotel in Varadero would be my idea of hell but would be reluctant to advise you not to go there because I suspect that that's where you'll find the closest to what you are looking for.

Likewise I know that I have and would again take the chance on going to Cuba in the hurricane season - I don't like the high humidity in July/August (though I'd get that throughout the Caribbean at that time of year anyway) and I think that the Cuban authorities are up to the job of dealing with hurricanes and seem to have the lowest rate of recorded casualties but I wouldn't advise you to do it just in case you do get caught in one and decide that you don't think it's good enough to be evacuated to the other end of the island to be put in a hotel you didn't want to stay in. Also, no one can ever say that you will be 100% safe within the hurrican zone within the hurricane season. You have to weigh up the odds for yourself and decide whether they are good enough and whether you could put up with the consequences of that decision.

If you really do want my advice then it would be that you think again about Cuba and to never make a decision on cost alone. Cuba is not like the Med but with hotter weather and whiter sand - in fact some Cuban beaches are pretty grotty compared to the Med. It has a very different culture and one that still hasn't entirely adjusted to tourists expectations of food and customer service even within the large tourist resort hotels, let alone once you step outside of the hotel. It is important to remember that tourists are one of the few sources of hard currency for both residents and the Government alike and whilst it might be possible to get a good cheap, all-inclusive deal, the other costs can add up. Getting good service can be dependent on tipping well and taking gifts with you for the housekeeping staff, excursions can be expensive because Cubacan has a monopoly - you won't find little local agencies who can undercut the prices offered by your reps - and even those of us who travel to Cuba on a tight budget are regarded as being very rich by the locals because in comparison to them we are. The moment you step outside of your hotel you are faced with poverty on a scale that is unimaginable here.

To put that into perspective, the money received by the family that I stayed with last time for having me as a paying guest for 12 nights on HB was more than the father's monthly salary as a hospital docter. I was paying aprox £10 per night and he would be lucky to earn £100 per month. And don't think that means that the cost of living will be cheap for you as a tourist - 2 different economies exist in Cuba and you can expect to always have to pay far more than the locals do for many goods and services. I think this is only fair but many visitors resent it and object to paying £10.00 to hear a live band that would cost me up to £30.00 to see perform in London but which the locals will have only been charged a token amount for.

Overall, something about your posts tells me that you're probably not ready for the culture shock that is Cuba compared to many other mass tourist destinations. I love it but I've a work colleague who went to Guardalavaca at the same time as I went to Santiago and she loathed it. I'd be reluctant to advise anybody to go if they haven't really thoroughly done their research beforehand just in case they felt the same as her.

SM

Reptile, re your question about how long hurricanes last is again difficult to answer becasue it depends on how close youa reto the etye of the storm. Most will track through the island from south to north in a matter of hours but preceded and followed by torrential rain which can last a couple of days. If you are staying in the path of a hurricane you will be evacuated from the immediate danger area to another hotel (all the locals will be evacuated to the nearest safe military base) but you won't necessarily escape the unsettled wet and windy weather 'corridor' on either side of the direct track.

Summer 2006 was, as someone else has said, relatively quiet but I was there in summer 2005 for 3 weeks in the window between Emily and Dennis. We experienced delays on our outbound flight into Holguin due to the backlog created by Emily tracking through the week before and both our internal flight from Santiago to Havana and our outbound flight from Havana to Gatwick a week later were delayed by the torrential rain which proceeded Dennis making landfall. We had very hot humid weather with a couple of spectacular thunderstorms in both Santiago and Havana. At least I got to stay where I wanted to but we had to cancel a day trip into the mountains because the village concerned had been washed away by Emily and the residents wouldn't be returning until the village was re-built. But anybody staying in Trinidad (the town Cuba, not the island) was evacuated in advance of Emily and Trinidad never really opened up to tourists again until after the end of the hurricane season. Friends who went in October of that year could not go to the small cayo they were booked on for part of their stay and another had her trek in Sierra Madre still take place at the same time but it was a bit of a mudbath and very hard going as a result of hurricanes.

Power supplies can be dodgy at the best of times and whilst most tourist hotels will have their own generators, expect blackouts and brownouts (drops in voltage) to happen on a regular basis elsewhere even outside of the hurricane season.

SM

I agree with SMa 100%, I love Cuba for exactly all the reasons that both me and SMa have mentioned, but just because I like it doesn't me you will.

I feel you need to do alot more research.

ok well to be honest i think i would like cuba.

it just depends on the hotel brisas del caribe,as long as its clea and the rooms are then.. did you see that hotel.
i would chance the weather and hurricanes,everyone else does.

well can you advise of any other carribean islands to go.
what about easten / southern dominican republic.

reptile,

As much as the hotel reviews on HT are useful, always take them with a pinch of salt. I know this is a generalisation, but I've always found that people only leave reviews if they have something to comment on, ie a bad experience are praise for the place. I'll probably get slated for saying that, but thats my experience. Its what you think that matters. The reviews on here are very useful to get a feel for a place and I've been put off going to certain hotels because of the reviews I've read. You get a consensus of opinion but always bear in mind these are personal opinions and you may think differently. There's only one way to find out. If the country/resort and hotel sounds like its what you're after, offers the things you want, then go for it.

As for advice on other islands, you need to think what you want from the holiday and take it from their. If all you want to do is sit on a beach or by the pool all day, pretty much any of the Caribbean islands will do you. If its something more specific you want, culture, scenery, wildlife etc, each island has different things to offer. A bit of research needed I think!

Darren

ok thanks,i agree with the opinions though.
ill look around,maybe florida.

As much as the hotel reviews on HT are useful, always take them with a pinch of salt

And you also always need to interpret them in the light of what YOU want from a holiday. There's many a hotel which has received rave reviews here and which I know I would probably absolutely hate because those rave reviews are saying that it's big and busy, caters for British tourists food tastes, has a wonderful animation team, loads of daytime activities and the best kids club ever. Whereas there are others that have received really negative reviews and which I know would be worth serious consideration on my part because they're small and quiet, there's no provision made at all for kids and there were few other kids around for the reviewers kids to get pal-up with, the food was all local and not really suited to the British palate, hardly anybody spoke English and there were no pubs and clubs catering for tourists outside of the hotel. That's why staying in a Casa Particulare suits me and why staying in a big all-inclusive resort hotel suits others and why if we ever had to exchange places we'd be in our respective holiday hells.

It's often easier to make suggestions or provide advice if people give us a fairly detailed idea of what they're looking for from a holiday and along with not only info about what they like to do on holiday but where they've enjoyed visiting in the past and hotels they really liked. So even though I greatly enjoy walking and going up in the mountains and I'm hoping on my next trip to Cuba to include a bit of trekking in the Sierra Madres as well as a few days in Vinales and in Trinidad too, even if I had an absolutely brilliant time I'd never ever seriously consider recommending it to Dazbo5 because I know from his posts here and elsewhere on the board that he has gills and he'd never survive that long on holiday without being able to go diving :-)

We really do try to be helpful to each other here but we also have to help each other out and be quite clear about what suits us so that others can bear that in mind when making suggestions or advising whether you might like a particular destination. So if you're thinking of trying Florida, let people know on the USA forum what are the sort of things you like to do on holiday, what sort of food you like, whether you like to get out and about and discover the local culture or whether you prefer a hotel-based holiday and don't mind if the first time you leave the hotel is to step on the coach to return to the airport, whether you like to do your sightseeing under your own steam or prefer organised coach excursions. And let them know what are the places, resorts and even hotels that you have really liked in the past. It will give them an idea about what you expect from a holiday and they can then compare it with what they've liked or disliked in the past.

SM

well in cuba we would stay local some days and go on some trips
so any good trips.

say
safari
dolphins
catamaran.
how much do these cost and is the sea choppy as its the atlantic.

Never in the field of holiday planning was so much owed by so few to so many

Can I just interject and add a quick note here please.

This has to be one of the soundest advice topics I've seen in a long time...Dazbo / SMa your comments on the use of holiday reviews are spot on. We always advise members to consider all the facts about holiday reviews and try to understand that it is opinion and opinion of someone you do not know.

They are an extremely useful tool when read in the correct context. The addition of averages for the ratings on each hotel has made it easier to gauge an overall view of a property. I do accept your comments, SMa, that in actual fact a hotel with a high rating may not suit yourself or others for the reason you indicated.

Also please take note in each review of the party size. This may help you guage easier. A raving review from a family of 6 would not appeal to a childless couple who don't want children under their feet. This was the reason the party details were included in the reviews.

Thanks for taking the time to post
Van

Hi,

rgearding trips, I was in varadero Feb 05. We went to a local lagoon and swam with Dolphins. We all enjoyed it although felt a little guilty about if it is morally right but they are lovely creatures.

Safari - Not sure what you mean by this. We did gout on a one day Jeep safari, this was good as you got out into the countryside and saw a little more of Cuba. Also saw some typical villages and towns again to get a nice feel of the real Cuba. Also stopped at some caves and went snorkelling on the day so all in all a good trip.

Also went a a jet boat ride through a lagoon which was good fun.

Sorry but I cant remember the prices, I think if you look up on the Cuban tourist board web site the prices are there.

A must in my opinion is to spend some time in Havana, a totally unique capital city. You can go on trips which are quite expensive but we flew into Havana so was able to tag it on to the end of the holiday rather than travel to and from our resort in the middle of the holiday.

Kind Regards
Stewart

Reptile,
I was lucky enough to go to Santiago de Cuba in 2004 and it really blew me away. The Grande Hotel Penthouse bar is the go to get the best views and Casa De la Trova (I hope I have that correct) where they have live music and was one the main starting places for the Buena Vista Social Club.If you go on the balcony you can see into the building opposite- when we were there it didn't have a roof and was derelict The music is intoxicating and Santiago was the higlight of my holiday. Also went to Havana and swam with the dolpins. I found plenty to do in Cuba, the people are fantastic, the rum the best I've ever tasted (apart from Sailor Jerry).
Cuba is an experience and if you don't go soon, you may never get to see it in all it's beauty. It might not be too long before McDonalds goes there!
We're back there in 8 days time, to Cayo Coco and Havana and if I can convince my husband Santiago. It's charm is that it is different from other caribbean islands and is very much worth the experience. You won't be disappointed in picking Cuba.
School holiday-wise maybe Easter might be the best time?

Great to see that I'm not the only fan of Santiago! Many's the mojito I have had in the Casa Grande. You're right about the rooftop bar and the terrace bar really is the best place to sit and watch the world go by in Parque Cespedes! When I go I take a daily morning dance class with the Cutumba company in the Casa d'Estudiante which is the grand but crumbling colonial style building just across the way from the steps of the Casa Grande on the street leading up to the Casa de la Trova. Most of the walking tours of Santiago include it in the itinerary - it can be a bit off-putting at first to realise that you've become one of the tourist sights whilst on holiday yourself but that's Cuba :-)

Did you go to the Casa de la Musica while you there? There are a couple of brilliant Casa Particulares that I've stayed in on the same street. Was hoping to go back again this March but can't manage the time off work until later in the year. Havana is great but the atmosphere in Santiago still has the edge for me - and the music is always better!

SM

I didn't know anything about the dance class- that really would be fantastic. I'm back in Cuba this Sunday (counting down the days), but going to Havana and Cayo Coco this time. If they do an overnight trip to Santiago I'm going to do my best to convince my husband we have to go because like you I think it is the heart of Cuba. If I manage it I'll look out for the places you mentioned. I was only there for 3 days in 2004 but wow what 3 days they were. Didn't think much of the Tropicana in Santiago though- Have you been? seemed to cater more for the tourists.

I've always assumed that both Tropicana's catered mainly for tourists because of the prices they charge! Never been to the Havana one but we went as guests of the regional Arts Council to the one in Santiago and, yes, it was tacky! But I've never had a night out like it. We were all asked to assemble at the Casa d'Estudiante at 8.00pm to be picked up but this being Cuba, the ramshackle school bus we were being taken broke down before it even got to us and we eventually left at 10.00pm - with all us student dancers, all the Cutumba dancers and musicians etc packed in - about 40 of us in a less than 30 seater!

When we arrived we found that they'd delayed the floor show starting until we did get there and had plied the 200 Venuzuelian Navy officers, who were there on a courtesy visit whilst training in Cuba, with rum to keep them happy until we did. After the floor show the stage was opened up as a dance floor and they where literally queuing up to dance with the greatly outnumbered women. Imagine, 200 handsome latino officers in their best No 1 tropical whites and only about 40 women max in the place! We were danced off our feet! Rollover Richard Gere!

SM

Suprisingly this thread has developed into one of the most usefull and informative I have read for some time, some exellent posts keep up the good work

SMa,
That sounds fantastic and I can understand why it became a night you wouldn't forget. 40 on an old Cuban bus certainly sounds like an experience- it's a mircale you ever got there!
One day when we went to the Casa Grande there was a magician there who went around all the tables and although he couldn't speak English (and my Spanish I'm afraid to say is even worse), he was fantastic. He did the pouring water into a newspaper and then making it vanish trick amongst others and I swear you could not see how he did them. Lovely man and very funny.We ended up taking the rest of the people in our group there to see him the next day.
I would love to visit Cuba in a similar way to you. This will only be my second visit and both are organised trips whereas it sounds as if you had more freedom to become more "involved" if thats the right word in the Cuban way of life.

Reptile: I have sent you a PM.

Jackie